Oil-burning system



Aug. 7, 1942s. Lemma 1F. HIGGINS ET AL OIL BURNING SYSTEM Original FiledJune 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 7, 192s.

' F. HIGGINS ET AL OIL BURNING SYSTEM A original Filed June 22, 1925 m 2Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED" STATES 1,679,9oo Pn'riiiwr` OFFICE.

OIL-BURNING SYSTEM.

Original application led .Tune 22, 1925,

This invention relates to an oil burni ng system adapted for use inconnection with furnaces, steam and hot water heating plants, and thelike.

The principal objections to certain oil burners in use exist in theformation of carbon usually due to incomplete or improper combustion andthe noise arising therefrom which make them objectionable in dwelll ingsand the like. n It is an object of this invention to overcome theseobjections in the provision of an oil burning system in which the fuel1s mixed with dry or superheated steam at low.. presl sure, togetherwith air, which prod uces a bluish or almost colorless flame of intenseheat.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel system ofvcontrol 'for the burner including a sparking mechanism for producinginitial combustion.

This application is a division of ourvpen ding application Serial No.38,942, filed June 22. 1925. 251

lowing description and disclosures` this in venton comprisesthe novelstructure and combinations hereinafter described and more Vaoparticularly pointed out and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a. preferred form of thisinvention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similarfeatures in the different views: Figure 1 is an elevational view of theoil burning appara-tus installed in connection with a furnace. Figure 2is a plan view showing diagrarnmatically the control system.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the water tank.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view upon the line IV-IV of Figure l.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the fire pot.

As illustrative of this invention, there is shown a furnace 1 in whichthe fire pot 2 of the system is positioned. A water tank' 5U 3 ispositioned adjacent the furnace. From the tank 3, a pipe 4 extends intothe furnace and directly above the fire pot in the form of a coil 4aLwhich returns through a branch 4'b and the pipe sections 5 and 6, ,to asafety valve 7 which communicates with the top of With these and otherobjects. in View,- which will become more apparent in the folserial110.38.942. Divided and this application marebruary 7, 1927. seriai No.mana l the tank. A pipe 8 provided with a control valve 9 extends fromthe top of the tank and connects with apipe 10 that communicates withthe top of the fire nozzle 1l (Figure 5).

The water in the tank 3 is maintained at a level which should be asuitable distance below the top of the coil 4a in order that the steammay be preheated in the upper part of the coil 4 before it reaches theburner. In the present instance the level of the water is shown to besubstantially a turn and a half of the coil 4a below the top of suchcoil, leaving substantially a coil and a half in which the steam may bepreheated before it reaches the burner. This water level is maintainedby means of a fioat 12 which is secured upon a flexible rod 13 whichcontrols a valve 14 in t-lie water supplyv pipe 15. On account of theflexibility of the' float rod, it may be adjusted to vary the Waterlevel within the tank. A low pressure gauge 19- is connected to the topof the tank for indicating the pressure of the steam.

The oil supply pipe 20 for the system extends through a regulating box21, the mechanism in which will be later described. From the regulatingbox, the oil supply extends through the wall of the furnace and into thefront end of the fire nozzle 11 as shown in Figure 5. Adjacent theregulating box, there is a trip valve 22 in the pipe S20. which isoperated by Jthe usual trip bucket 23 from which a pipe Q4 extends. Thepipe 24 extends into the lower part of the fire pot. As such a tripbucketaiid its functions are old and well-known it need not be morespecificallv described.

The fire pot 2 which is best shown in Figures 4 and 5 consists of asubstantially cylindrical body portion Q with a downwardly directe/dhood 25 which is offset with respect to the body portion, but integraltherewith. The wall of the body. portion is not continuous: there is agap E2G that establishes communication between the hood and bodyportion. The hood is so formed in connection with the body portion thatthe outer wall of the gap lies in substantially the same plane astheinner surface of the adjacent wall of the fire pot. The inner side ofthe gap 2G is formed by the juncture wall 27 of the hood and bodyportion. This juncture wall slopes inwardly and Serves to deflect theflames with respect to the gap 26. This gap serves as a thoroughfare forair which may vnut tits loosely in the Anut 32.

enter the fuel nozzle through an inlet 28. The nozzle 11 is supported inthe wall 2.9 that connects the deector portion 2T with the wall of thehood below the gap 26. According to this construction, the fuel nnxturepassing through t-he nozzle 11 will be tangentially directed against thewall of the body portion and be Given a'swlrhng mo tion; aftersubstantial y one revolution the same will strike the deflector 2T andbe deflected inwardly of the gap 26 so as not to interfere with theoperation of the nozzle.

The nozzle consists of a hollow Venturi tube. A nut- 30 is threaded inthe outer end of the tube, the oil pipe 2Q`being secured in said nut.This nut has an extended ltube 3l which communicates with` the oil pipe20. This tube extends into a second nut 32- threaded in the nozzle l1 inspaced' relation with the nut 30'to provide a steam chambertherebetween; The nut 32 is provided with a forwardly projecting noz zle33. It will `be noted that the passage 1n the nozzle 11 is cylindricalat the rea-rg'it then becomes conical to provide a restricted portionwhich merges into a ari'ng portion to give 'a Venturi eitect to Fthemixture.

It will be noted that the tube 3l in the Consequentlysthe steam enteringthepipe 10 will pass into the nozzle of the lnut 32 and mix with the oiland as the steam has been superheated and `is dry, there will be nohindrance to combustion. Thev air inlet 28 communicates with the conicalportion of the passage in the nozzle and forward of the nut 32.Consequently, the air willl become mixed ,s

with the oil after the steam strikes the oil. In referring to Figure 5,it will be noted that the bodv portion 2*iL of the fire pot has -adownwardlyr sloping annular fiange 2-b which forms part vof the bottomthereof.

T he remainder; of the bottom-is formed by a basin 34 or the likeattached to thetlange 2b. An electrical heating unit 35 is attached tothe bot-tom of the basin 34. AJ pair of conductors 36 and 36 which passthrough insulated blocks 37, in the bottom of the basin,

convey the current with respect to the heatmgunit.

I he fuel vmixture willA initially drop into the basin 34: and be heatedinto vapor which will be ignited by an electrical spark produced by thespaced conductors-38 and 39 above the heating unit. These spacedconductors, which may be termed the spark wires, extend through suitableinsulated blocks 37 in the base of the basin ,to the electrica-l controlwhich will be later described. An apertured cover 40 having an. upwardlyiaring portion around the aperture therein rests upon the top of thelire pot andproduces a Venturi effect with respect to the emitted dames.

Referringnow to the control mechanism which is housed in the box 21 andwhich is shown in Figure 2, it will be seen that the conductor 36 of theheating unit connects with a wire 41 leading from a high tension coil 42to a source ot' powcr, and that Alconnected with a flexible switchelement- 45 whichis adapted to be contacted by a thermostaticallyoperated switch element 46 adapted to be heated by the coil 42 and whichis connected by a conductor 4T to the wire 36.

The oil supply'pipe in the box 2l has an automatically controlled valvewhich is connected to an arm 48 intermediate the ends thereof; one endof this arm has a projecting pin 49 while the other end is connected toone end of a link 50. The other end of the link 50 is pivotallyconnected to a core 5l of a. valve closing solenoid 52.'

Mounted loosely upon the axis. of the arm 48. there is a second arm 53which is pivotally connected by a link 54 with a rod 55 embodying a core56 of a valve opening and switch closing solenoid 57. The rod extendscpntignous to and past a rotary switch 58 into a switch opening solenoid59: the rod being provided with a suitable core 60 forsn'ch solenoid.The rod 55 is also pivotally connected by a link 61 to the rotary Switch58. f

The rotary switch comprises an insulated disk having an arcuateconductive portion 62 upon its periphery adapted to form electricalconnections between the stationary contact members 63, 64 and 43 as willlater more fully appear.

After the system has been started, it may be automatically regulated bya thermostat 65 in the dwelling room. The delecting portion of thisthermostat is connected to the Source of power through a conductor 66which is connected by a conductor 67 with the switch opening solenoid59. The low temperature side \of the thermostat is connected by a wire68 with the valve opening solenoid 57 and the high temperature side ofthe thermostat is connected by a conductor 69 with the valve closingsolenoid 52.

After' the system has been pnt into operation,it is desirable to rotatethe switch to otl' position. In order to accomplish this the.

"switch opening solenoid must be energized.

, thermostat yielding switch member 45, it will continue.

toI move as its temperature increases until it v strikes the contact 71for completing the circuit through the solenoid 59 which will actuatethe bar 55 for rotating the switch to o. position as shown in Figure 2.In order to start the system, a suitable switch 72 may be inserted inthe main line of the circuit. t

The operation is as follows:

In the position shown in Figure 2, the switch 58 is in off position andthe` automatic valve in the oily supply pipe is closed. Now if theswitch 72 is closed, the circuit through the solenoid 57 will becompleted through the low temperature side of the 65. The solenoid 57will attract the core 56 and shift the rod 55 to the ri ht, therebyclosing the switch 58. Simu taneously, the arm and swing the arm 48 tothe right for opening the oil valve, the oil then Howing into the lirenot. Y

As soon as the switch 58 -is rotated to closed position, it will put thecontact 43 in circuit and establish the circuit through the till nectionwith the post 71,

heating unit 35 for heating and vaporizing the oil. By the time the oilis vaporized, the thermostatic bar 46 will be suiciently heated by theresistance coil 42l to flex upwardly and contact with the switch element45 for completing the circuit through the high tension coil 42, to whichthe spark -wires connect; consequently the sparks pr0 duced V'across thegap of the spark wlres 38 and 39 will ignite the vapors and start theburner. A short interval after the thermostatic bar 46 has contacted theswitch element 45, it will sufficiently iex through additionaltemperature to force the said bar 46 against the contact 71 forcompleting the circuit through the solenoidv59 which will becomeenergized and draw the rod back' to the .position shown in Figure 1 androtate the switch 58 to open position-for disconnecting the contact 43and breaking the circuit through the heating unit 35 and the sparkwires. When the rod 55 is drawn to the left, the arm 53 will swing awayfrom the pin 49, leaving the valve open. However,- as long as the bar 45remains in contact with contact post 71 there will be a, short circuitthrough the solenoid 59. In open position, the solenoid 57 will be incircuit and the switch may be actuated back and forth as beforeexplained, after the bar 46 has cooled suiiiciently to break theconperature in the room has not suiiiciently risen to break the contactat the low temperature side with the solenold 57. However,

`movement will bring the 53 will engage the pin 49' provided thetemthermostat 65 with the solenoid52, the same will be energized fordrawing the core 51 inwardly and swinging the arm 48 for closing thevalve in the oil supply pipe. This pin 49 in close so that when theproximity to the arm 53,

,room cools olf and establishes the contact through the solenoid 57, foractuating the bar 55 to the right, the arm 53 will engage the pin 49 andopen the oil valve, when the operation may be repeated as beforeexplained It will of course be understood that during the operation ofthe apparatus herein described, suitable fuel is fed to the burner, andafter sufficient heat has been generated, the water in thelower turns ofthe coil 4 will give off steam which will be superheated in the upperturns of said coil so that dry and superheated steam will be mixed withthe fuel.

We are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of4 this invention, and we therefore do notl purposelimitingl the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

claim as our invention:

In an oil burning system, a furnace having a fire pot therein, afuel-nozzle in the fire pot., a coil positioned over the re pot, a tankhaving an upper steam storage space and a lower water storage spaceconnecte by pipes to the top and bottom of the coil respectively, wateriiow controlling means adapted to maintain the level of the water in thecoil below the top thereof to ensurea steam conduit means extending fromthe tank to the nozzle, and means for feeding fuel to said nozzle forcommingling with the steam. I

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

FRANK HIGGINS. ARTHUR E. NORDSTROM.

of relatively hot water tothe coil,

